The Sequencer¶

The Sequencer is the heart of FocuZ. A job is an ordered list of actions that FocuZ runs top to bottom when you press Run. If you're used to the object/pen model of other galvo software, read How FocuZ works first — the sequence-of-actions idea is what everything below builds on.

TODO screenshot: the Sequencer with a few layers and actions

Structure: groups, layers, sublayers¶

Your job is organized as a tree:

Groups hold layers and can repeat as a unit.
Layers carry an action and its marking parameters.
Sublayers are extra passes attached to a layer (a second marking pass, a jog, a cut, etc.).

Each node has an Enable checkbox — disable a node to skip it without deleting it. Groups can be collapsed to keep a big job tidy. (Drag-to-reorder isn't available yet — build the order as you add.)

Repeats & run-every-Nth¶

Passes repeat a layer's mark N times.
Group repeat runs a whole group multiple times.
Run every N on a sublayer fires it only on every Nth pass or 3D slice (e.g. a jog or accessory step every 10th slice rather than every one).

Action types¶

Adding an action opens a picker grouped by purpose:

Marking

2D Import — mark imported 2D art (see Importing Geometry).
2D Cut — mark an offset cut band around imported 2D art.
2D Rotary — mark 2D art wrapped around a cylindrical part, with its own part and split settings (see Rotary Marking).
3D Slice — slice a 3D model and mark it layer by layer.
3D Cut — mark an offset cut band around a 3D model's outline.
3D Shadow — flatten a 3D model to its floor outline and fill it like 2D art (see below).

Sequencer

Delay — wait a set time.
Pause — stop and wait for you to continue (a modal prompt).
Stop — end the sequence here.
Select Action — a no-op placeholder (skipped at marking); useful while building.

GRBL (the FocuZ:grbl controller)

GRBL - Jog — move an axis as a job step.
GRBL - Command — send raw G-code/M-code — including switching accessory relays (air assist, vacuum) on/off mid-job. See the relay section.

Calibration

WCS Offset — align the mark to the part by dragging a target on the canvas (see Lenses, Corrections & Calibration).
Z Focus Test — find the optimal focal height by marking a stepped-Z test pattern (see Finding focus).
Test Grid — mark a parameter-sweep grid to dial in settings (see The Test Grid).

Marking parameters¶

Per layer:

Parameter	What it does
Speed (mm/s)	Galvo speed while marking.
Power (%)	Laser power (0–100).
Frequency (kHz)	Pulse frequency, clamped to the device min/max.
Q-Pulse	Pulse-width / energy-per-pulse control.
Passes	Number of times to repeat the layer.

Fill types¶

Pick a fill to engrave a filled area (leave it off to mark just the outline):

Unidirectional / Bidirectional / Cross — straight line fills (one direction, back-and-forth, or crossed). Set Spacing and Angle.
Hilbert Curve — a space-filling curve (set its depth/size).
Snake — a continuous serpentine fill.
Contour Race Track — fast concentric rings that follow the shape (offset insetting).
Contour Max Detail — high-fidelity concentric fill (slower).
Thatch — a textured/wobble fill (set its size and phase).

Common controls: Spacing and Angle for line fills, Auto Rotate (+ Step) to turn the fill angle each pass, and a contour offset for the contour types.

On 2D Import layers, two extra rows shape the filled area itself:

Fill Offset — grow (+) or shrink (−) the fill past the shape's boundary.
Hole Inset — keep the fill a set distance short of the shape's interior holes.

3D layers: the Perimeter¶

3D actions (3D Slice, 3D Cut, 3D Shadow) can carry a perimeter — a closed boundary that bounds the fill around the model's footprint (for a 3D Slice, the area between the perimeter and the model is what gets carved). Pick a source from the Perimeter ▾ menu on the layer:

Import… — load a closed 2D path from a file.
Hull — the model's own flattened outline, generated for you. Re-importing the model refreshes it.
Circle / Square — a simple shape centered on the model's footprint (set its width/length).

A perimeter is a normal canvas object — select it to move it or edit it. With Hull or Import selected, the size fields become a single Off: (offset) box that grows or shrinks the boundary evenly all the way around; setting it back to 0 restores the original outline exactly.

Respect holes (Hull only, on by default) — the Hull follows the model's through-holes, so e.g. a ring's center stays open instead of being treated as solid. Combined with Fill-Through, a through-hole is marked at full depth — either way the hole is treated as real empty space. Uncheck it to use the outer outline only.

3D Shadow¶

3D Shadow turns a 3D model into a flat engraving: the model is flattened to its floor outline (only geometry at or above the floor counts) and the interior is filled like a 2D import — with the usual fill types, an Offset to grow/shrink the outline first, and an optional perimeter to clip the fill. The Group setting controls how the outline's through-holes fill: Even / Odd leaves holes open, Union fills them solid.

Variation¶

Variation sweeps a parameter across a fill so it changes as the mark progresses:

Scope — Layer, Action, or Sublayer.
Type — Linear, Sine, or Random.
Per-parameter — enable variation on Speed, Power, Frequency, and/or Q-Pulse, each with a value range.

Use it for gradients, test ramps, or texture effects.

Timings¶

Per-layer or per-action overrides for laser/jump timing (laser on/off, polygon corner, end delays; jump speed and ramp). Choose Device to use the global device defaults, or Custom to override for that layer/action. Defaults from your markcfg7 import are a good starting point.

Sublayers¶

A sublayer attaches an extra step to a layer. Set its mode:

Mark (Sub) — a second marking pass with its own parameters (+ Run-every-N).
Jog — move an axis (via the FocuZ:grbl controller) between passes/slices.
Terminal — send raw GRBL command lines (e.g. switch a relay) as a step.
Cut — mark an offset band around the path:
- Source — an imported file, the layer Perimeter, or a Border.
- Offset (how far out from the path) and Distance (band width).
- Optional outline, or a wobble fill for the band.